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eliteauto wrote:Valid points smash but I don't think the election date was planned for when it came, the government needed a large enough distraction from the protests/gang unification that if allowed to continue would have damaged them politically. No small distraction was gonna cut it so call the election. Also wasn't the cost of quarantine and the duration of same some of the reasons advanced for the non attendance of observers? Would any time have been more convenient to the Commonwealth?
De Dragon wrote:Redman wrote:zoom rader wrote:Redman wrote:Yes dax-UNC need more smart people like you.
Yuh going up for internals?
or yuh just sunning out?
Why don't you go up since you always saying they need smart folk
ent you bright
Happy to say I don’t have what it takes.
Disagree, you're already equipped with the mindless sycophantic nature, and the inability to articulate a clear point, or idea, so you'd fit right in.
De Dragon wrote:eliteauto wrote:Valid points smash but I don't think the election date was planned for when it came, the government needed a large enough distraction from the protests/gang unification that if allowed to continue would have damaged them politically. No small distraction was gonna cut it so call the election. Also wasn't the cost of quarantine and the duration of same some of the reasons advanced for the non attendance of observers? Would any time have been more convenient to the Commonwealth?
So the British/Bajans are paying their own way?
Cost was NEVER the reason, the Commonwealth itself said the failures of the PNM to put certain measures in place in time was the sole reason.
THE COMMONWEALTH Secretariat is mum on sending an election observer mission to TT but assures it stands ready to assist all members in upholding the values of free and fair elections “wherever possible and practicable.”
It declined to comment on statements by the Prime Minister on the secretariat’s inability to send an observer mission for the August 10 general election because of the costs involved with covid19 quarantine and border closure restrictions.
In response to questions from Newsday, a Commonwealth spokesman said: “We don’t give a running commentary on these types of issues and communications between member states and the Secretariat are obviously confidential.
“However, it is important to note that the global covid19 crisis, and its health, social and economic impacts, have created unprecedented pressures upon governments and societies and extensive restrictions on the normal travel of people and groups between countries.
“The Commonwealth places an extremely high value on our work to support democracy in all our member states and expects all of our members to abide by our values in support of free and fair elections.
“We always stand ready to assist all our members in upholding these values and to support elections through observation missions wherever possible and practicable.”
maj. tom wrote:The point of "PNM stole the elections" is moot at this point. TT has a legal Government and it is not going to be overturned.
But people can still talk and show how they have been unfair and even discriminatory against the very people whose interest they are supposed to uphold foremost. Hopefully the next time people will decide if they really have a choice in their vote, or if they must accept it no matter what because the other party was not perfect in every way, despite the repeated evidence of all the wrong-doings of the PNM over the history of our country.
maj. tom wrote:Yesterday in Parliament it was suggested that they take the funding from UNC regional corporations and distribute it to the PNM ones. How is that fair in any way to the people living in those places? But because the UNC isn't perfect, the voters allow PNM to continue their games despite them feeling the worst effects of those decisions.
Just one issue on the taxation of computers: UNC removed the tax which helped ordinary people buy technology and have access to modern communications and boost literacy. PNM came 2016 and added back the tax and included books as well, even copy books. Now they make a halfway false promise to remove it again and we should all feel so grateful to be manipulated that way. But what choice voters had? UNC wasn't perfect, so we may as well live with the PNM and their shovelledshit.
Cryin Fuh he step daughterMaxPower wrote:Fake crying?
I would like to believe it was real tears.
The Honorable Minister Stuart Young has my sympathy.
He is cocky, but he is really a great guy and a family man.
My dear Friends,
Let us not get emotional with politics and the mickey mouse games.
It was posted right here that the unc areas are the midt impoverished.maj. tom wrote:Yesterday in Parliament it was suggested that they take the funding from UNC regional corporations and distribute it to the PNM ones. How is that fair in any way to the people living in those places? But because the UNC isn't perfect, the voters allow PNM to continue their games despite them feeling the worst effects of those decisions.
Just one issue on the taxation of computers: UNC removed the tax which helped ordinary people buy technology and have access to modern communications and boost literacy. PNM came 2016 and added back the tax and included books as well, even copy books. Now they make a halfway false promise to remove it again and we should all feel so grateful to be manipulated that way. But what choice voters had? UNC wasn't perfect, so we may as well live with the PNM and their shovelledshit.
FINANCE Minister Colm Imbert has responded to a reduction of more than $30 million in the allocation for the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses (GATE) programme and said GATE was under review.
He was speaking Thursday as the Standing Finance Committee looked at the budget estimates for the Finance Ministry.
Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein asked about a line item showing a cut in the GATE programme by $35 million.
Hosein asked: "Is there any plan to reduce the number of programmes?"
Imbert replied: "GATE is under review."
Hosein asked by whom.
Imbert replied,"By Government."
Hosein wanted to know, "When will we get the report of the review?"
Imbert said, "Soon."
Hosein asked who were the members of the committee reviewing GATE, but Imbert said there was no committee. He said there is a Cabinet and it will be advised by the Education Ministry.
He added: "Not only GATE but there are other things under review."
Hosein asked if there may be a reduction in the number of programmes, but Imbert said he could not give any more information than to say it was under review.
Hosein said: "GATE is going to be cut
A 2.5% cut on VAT was a major campaign point... So they could rate up the 8% tooRedman wrote:Yep a cut from 435 to 400
a 8% cut from 435.
http://parlcloud.ttparliament.org:8081/ ... 0Force.pdf
There you have it folks ,maj. tom wrote:Yesterday in Parliament it was suggested that they take the funding from UNC regional corporations and distribute it to the PNM ones. How is that fair in any way to the people living in those places? But because the UNC isn't perfect, the voters allow PNM to continue their games despite them feeling the worst effects of those decisions.
Just one issue on the taxation of computers: UNC removed the tax which helped ordinary people buy technology and have access to modern communications and boost literacy. PNM came 2016 and added back the tax and included books as well, even copy books. Now they make a halfway false promise to remove it again and we should all feel so grateful to be manipulated that way. But what choice voters had? UNC wasn't perfect, so we may as well live with the PNM and their shovelledshit.
Redman wrote:De Dragon wrote:eliteauto wrote:Valid points smash but I don't think the election date was planned for when it came, the government needed a large enough distraction from the protests/gang unification that if allowed to continue would have damaged them politically. No small distraction was gonna cut it so call the election. Also wasn't the cost of quarantine and the duration of same some of the reasons advanced for the non attendance of observers? Would any time have been more convenient to the Commonwealth?
So the British/Bajans are paying their own way?
Cost was NEVER the reason, the Commonwealth itself said the failures of the PNM to put certain measures in place in time was the sole reason.
Yep...as usual spot on.THE COMMONWEALTH Secretariat is mum on sending an election observer mission to TT but assures it stands ready to assist all members in upholding the values of free and fair elections “wherever possible and practicable.”
It declined to comment on statements by the Prime Minister on the secretariat’s inability to send an observer mission for the August 10 general election because of the costs involved with covid19 quarantine and border closure restrictions.
In response to questions from Newsday, a Commonwealth spokesman said: “We don’t give a running commentary on these types of issues and communications between member states and the Secretariat are obviously confidential.
“However, it is important to note that the global covid19 crisis, and its health, social and economic impacts, have created unprecedented pressures upon governments and societies and extensive restrictions on the normal travel of people and groups between countries.
“The Commonwealth places an extremely high value on our work to support democracy in all our member states and expects all of our members to abide by our values in support of free and fair elections.
“We always stand ready to assist all our members in upholding these values and to support elections through observation missions wherever possible and practicable.”
sMASH wrote:coudla give the observers the same exemption delci got.
shake d livin wake d dead wrote:Pnm logic: furnish yuh brethren building for 20 mil is an investment but cut funding for education by 35 mil is a burden. On top ah that yuh begging yuh laptops....Adapt to it
According to Rowliar the British goverment is UNC and dem not going after the UNC ppl in UKmaj. tom wrote:need i remind you that Kamla did teef out the Treasury?
right, talk done.
Gladiator wrote:PNM donkey logic that only their supporters understand and appreciateshake d livin wake d dead wrote:Pnm logic: furnish yuh brethren building for 20 mil is an investment but cut funding for education by 35 mil is a burden. On top ah that yuh begging yuh laptops....Adapt to it
De Dragon wrote:Redman wrote:De Dragon wrote:eliteauto wrote:Valid points smash but I don't think the election date was planned for when it came, the government needed a large enough distraction from the protests/gang unification that if allowed to continue would have damaged them politically. No small distraction was gonna cut it so call the election. Also wasn't the cost of quarantine and the duration of same some of the reasons advanced for the non attendance of observers? Would any time have been more convenient to the Commonwealth?
So the British/Bajans are paying their own way?
Cost was NEVER the reason, the Commonwealth itself said the failures of the PNM to put certain measures in place in time was the sole reason.
Yep...as usual spot on.THE COMMONWEALTH Secretariat is mum on sending an election observer mission to TT but assures it stands ready to assist all members in upholding the values of free and fair elections “wherever possible and practicable.”
It declined to comment on statements by the Prime Minister on the secretariat’s inability to send an observer mission for the August 10 general election because of the costs involved with covid19 quarantine and border closure restrictions.
In response to questions from Newsday, a Commonwealth spokesman said: “We don’t give a running commentary on these types of issues and communications between member states and the Secretariat are obviously confidential.
“However, it is important to note that the global covid19 crisis, and its health, social and economic impacts, have created unprecedented pressures upon governments and societies and extensive restrictions on the normal travel of people and groups between countries.
“The Commonwealth places an extremely high value on our work to support democracy in all our member states and expects all of our members to abide by our values in support of free and fair elections.
“We always stand ready to assist all our members in upholding these values and to support elections through observation missions wherever possible and practicable.”
Willfully dotish as usual
Trinidad Express, august 18th 2020
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said yesterday he took umbrage at the Opposition Leader’s misrepresentation of facts surrounding the absence of observer missions for the Trinidad and Tobago general election.
“It is being said that I, as Prime Minister, did not invite observers to come here and that I took steps to prevent them from coming. I have seen it written by columnists who have no regard for the facts...writing that the Government prevented observers from coming or did not invite observers. I just want to dismiss that...for the folly that it is,” Rowley said at a news conference at the Balisier House, Port of Spain.
The Prime Minister said very soon after calling the election, he took steps to invite Caricom and the Commonwealth secretariats to send observers for the election, and both agencies indicated their willingness to come.
“Having initially indicated at first cut that they would accommodate us, in trying to do that, both agencies had difficulties at their end and also in complying with our requests at this end, with respect to the arrival of any such person or persons who they would send,” he said.
He said the Commonwealth Secretariat faced financial constraints in meeting the cost of the 14-day quarantine and asked for assistance from the T&T Government. But the Prime Minister said the Government could not fund people who were coming in to examine its election process. “You can’t pay your own judge to adjudicate on your own case,” he said.
He said the Government therefore sought to get Canada and the UK, two other Commonwealth countries, to participate in providing the funding, which was the obstacle to the Commonwealth Secretariat in having the observer mission coming here.
“But we didn’t get very far with that because it was an unusual request, which was considered in some quarters, and by the time we got responses to that, it was too late. In the case of the Caricom mission, the Caricom Secretariat was only able to source three persons, which the secretary felt was not sufficient for an observer mission, he said.
‘More persons on the ground’
According to the documents released on the Prime Minister’s website, the Prime Minister sent a letter to Caricom Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque on July 9, inviting Caricom to send an election observation mission.
He indicated because of the management of the pandemic, the T&T borders were closed and the observation mission would need to arrive in T&T no later than July 24 to facilitate the 14-days of State-supervised quarantine.
He said election observers would need to apply for and obtain an exemption to enable entry into this country, and such a request would be considered “with dispatch”.
The Prime Minister received a letter of acknowledgement the next day, July 10, along with another correspondence, in which the secretary-general alerted the foreign affairs ministers of the 14 Caricom member states and the ambassadors to member states, and the director-general of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), to the T&T Government’s request and the conditions associated with it, including the need to arrive in T&T by July 24 in order to facilitate the 14-day State-supervised mandatory quarantine.
The correspondence advised only one national per member state was to be submitted and the individual should “preferably” be a senior electoral officer or very experienced in electoral monitoring. This latter document was signed by Assistant Secretary General Colin Granderson.
Exchanges between LaRocque and Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dennis Moses on July 22 and on July 25 said there were only three members, and LaRocque was not sure how effectively they would be able to observe polling day.
“We need a minimum 10, preferably 15, given the number of polling stations and geographical location dispersion... .We need to have more persons on the ground,” LaRocque said.
Commonwealth documents
According to the documents, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Baroness Patricia Scotland, by letter dated July 14, responded to the Prime Minister’s July 9 letter notifying her of the T&T elections and inviting the Commonwealth to deploy a Commonwealth Observer Group.
She said while the Covid-19 pandemic “posed unprecedented logistical and practical challenges, we are committed to making every possible effort to enable us to respond positively to your request for an observation mission...
“Thus I have instructed my officials to work with your authorities to make every effort to overcome any logistical or other challenges, in order to facilitate the presence of a Commonwealth Observer Group for the 10 August national parliamentary elections,” Scotland said.
She added while the Commonwealth Secretariat would be able to meet the costs of the observer mission in the usual way, “its straitened financial position is such that we would not be able to provide funding to cover a 14-day period of quarantine.
“I have therefore instructed my officials to discuss this matter with yours, and it would be most helpful if the Government of Trinidad and Tobago were able to offer assistance.”
She said the Commonwealth Secretariat would be grateful if the Government would nominate a separate focal point, with whom Commonwealth Secretary officials could liaise to discuss the necessary logistical arrangements pertinent to the Covid-19 environment.
In a letter to Moses dated July 23, Scotland said the secretariat had potential observers on stand-by, and officials had made every effort to put in place potential arrangements, including logistical arrangements, hotel bookings, available flights, etc, to attend to this important invitation.
“Sadly, I understand that a focal point has not yet been communicated and this is essential for the deployment of our mission. Given the current circumstances, it does not seem possible to deploy them by Friday, July 24, as there are critical arrangements that should have been made with the focal point prior to deploying. I remain committed to deploying a Commonwealth Observer Group if the necessary arrangements and protocols can be agreed,” Scotland said.
Apparently in response, in a letter dated July 23, Moses said the ministry advised the permanent secretary of the ministry “stands ready and is available to be the focal point requested by the Secretary General.... Additionally, the Chief of Protocol will serve as an alternate focal point. Contact details of the focal point and alternate focal point are enclosed as is information requested by the Secretary General”.
The numbers of the PS, Reita Toussaint, and Chief of Protocol, Kiva Clarke, were provided, along with the Covid testing requirements, the availability of flights, measures to reduce the risk of Covid exposure, measures for facilitating election observation, namely freedom of movement and access to relevant elector processes and material, electors actors; and the designation of a focal point from the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs to assist with contacts.
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